Please respond briefly to the three questions below. Post your responses as a new post (not as a comment on this post):
- Choose one of the seventeen items in De Gouges’ “Declaration of the Rights of Woman” that seems particularly interesting to you and explain its meaning. Look up any unfamiliar words or terms.
- What do Olympe de Gouges and Mary Wollstonecraft seem to be saying about marriage? What do you make of their concerns?
- What is it like to read these two 18th century texts in the 21st century? Describe one issue that De Gouges and Wollstonecraft address that still seems relevant to us today.
I think reading these two 18th century texts in the 21st century is extremely interesting because it makes us realize how different the world used to be and it shows us how far society has grown since then. It’s definitely an eye opener to say the least. In particular, I wanted to mention an idea that De Gouges writes about, that pops up multiple times in her piece, and that would the idea of equality; women should be treated/judged the same as men based on her own talents and merits. I think this idea is still relevant to us till this day because in many fields that are dominated by men, women are constantly being looked down upon in comparison to their male peers despite possessing the same skills. Its been an issue in the past and its still an issue in the current day and its interesting to see how we, as a society, are still working towards
“fixing” these issues after so many years.
Yes, the world has changed a lot since the 18th century. I agree that women have made a lot of progress, but I am struck by how many areas there are where women are still struggling to attain real equality and real freedom.
When I read the 18th century and 21st-century texts, the way that Gouges and Wollstonecraft explain their issue was different. Gouges states the inequality between men and women by using the Declaration of Independence to show that women should have equal rights as men and how men are taking advantage of women. Wollstonecraft addresses her issue differently than Gouges by explaining how women can take advantage of men. It was great reading both texts because both Gouges and Wollstonecraft summarize how women can gain equal rights from their point of view. The “Declaration of the Rights of Women” item 10 seemed interesting because it illustrates that no one should feel disrespected by their own opinions. In life, some have the same point of view like you, and others believe their point of view is better than yours. This item is saying that you should respect your own opinion for people to understand what you say. Gouges explains that men can take advantage of women, and they need to protect their rights. Wollstonecraft presents her statement by illustrating how women can take advantage of men to show how they protect their rights in a relationship. It was good reading both of these texts when Gouges and Wollstonecraft state their beliefs on how women can gain equal rights as men.
After reading these two 18th century texts, it gave me an impression on how society grew since then. During the 18th century, Gouges and Wollstonecraft had encountered different issues. Gouges expressed the inequality of men and women. Wollstonecraft advocated how women take advantage of men. To summarize both 18th century texts, women could gain equal rights. Similarity the declaration of the rights of women shows no ones opinions can be disrespected. It opals me of how times were different and how women were treated. Even though women face inequalities it has improved from back than. A woman cant be justified as the same qualities of a man.